Fatalities at Rokatenda After Pyroclastic Flow

Video capture of a news report on the eruption at Rokatenda (Paluweh) that killed at least 5 people. Image: YouTube. Some grim news out of Indonesia today. An eruption from Rokatenda (also known as Paluweh) killed at least 5 people during what appears to be a pyroclastic flow that swept (video) from the active crater to the beaches below. Rokatenda is an island volcano on Palu island where the coasts are only a few kilometers from the summit of the volcano, so any unexpected explosion or dome collapse can produce a pyroclastic flow that will reach the shores of the island within minutes (if not less). The pictures of the eruption clearly show the pyroclastic flow sweeping out to sea, so any people on the shores of the island in the path of the pyroclastic flow wouldn't stand a chance to survive the mix of superheated volcanic gases and debris ...